Post #125623 by Mister Sparkle on Mon, Nov 15, 2004 10:45 AM

Ok peeps, this is my first tiki, and I need some more expert wisdom. The first photo of a piece of wood that was on the side of someones lawn (Chicago area), I sealed the ends with some sealer, waited about 30-60 days, and started to strip the bark with a chisel. (this is my practice log), soon after, the wood started splitting big time.

I found a bonus this weekend of some fresh cut wood down the street, (can anyone tell what it is? My friends think the one on the left is walnut, and the one on the right is oak.). I dont want to make the same mistake on these two humongous gems, what do you people suggest? Should I immediatly seal the ends? And how long do I sit on the logs until I can start the strip the bark? Finding these logs, at this size and having a pick up truck available at the time is extremely rare and I cannot afford to mess these up! Please shower me with your wisdom tiki people!

[ Edited by: Mister Sparkle on 2004-11-15 10:47 ]

For a size reference, note the verticle 2x4 on the right side of the right log, they are both about 4-5 feet tall, and heavy!

I do plan on sharing this whole carving experience too for the forum, so expect to see this whole progress. :)

[ Edited by: Mister Sparkle on 2004-11-15 10:49 ]